Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of Nano-Structure CdO:Y Thin Films by Sol-Gel Spin Coating Method

Thin films of yttrium (Y) doped cadmium oxide (CdO) were prepared on glass substrate by sol-gel spin coating method. The effects of yttrium concentration on structural, optical, morphological and electrical properties of CdO thin films were examined. XRD revealed the prepared films to have a polycrystalline with cubic structure. The scanning electron microscopes of the films show uniform distribution of spherical aggregates composed of nano particles. EDX spectra confirm the presence of cadmium and yttrium elements in prepared film. All the films present a low transmittance in the visible region and the optical band gap decreased from 2.23 to 2.06 eV with increasing yttrium concentration. A Photoluminescence measurement shows UV and blue green emission spectrum. The minimum electrical resistivity and maximum carrier concentration were obtained for 7.5 and 10 wt% of yttrium doped cadmium oxide films respectively.